Based on the film by Fritz Lang, this version of “M” consists of paintings by Muth. This hardcover publication is a gathering together of a four-volume comic series first published in 1990. Muth uses dialogue balloons instead of sound. The loss of M’s whistling is considerable but the images capture the tone of the film and the story well. He applies a bit of color from oil paint in these silverpoint on charcoal paintings, giving the work a very rich look. There is also musical notation across m...

At first I thought - why? Just like a singer picking "My Way" and expecting the audience to like that version over Sinatra...what's the point? But this GN offers a new take on this classic...a tike that will leave you stunned and remind you of how chilling M truly is. The photorealism of the art gives you a proximity to the crimes that will make your skin crawl. Take a chance on this...you will not be disappointed.

4.5 stars. The only drawback was the art got a little confusing at times, at least to me.This was a strong adaptation of a very strong movie. A similar story has been done a few times over the years. A serial killer is murdering children, and the search for the killer puts heat on the underworld in general. In order to get the cops off of their backs, the criminal element takes it upon themselves to find the killer. When M was filmed in 1931, this was still an original story. The idea of a child...

Great adaptation of the classic film M. Love the artwork by Jon J. Muth all done in a sepia-toned black and white. It looks much like scenes from the actual film. The art in the book draws the same kind of eerie feelings the movie did when I watched it recently for the first time. If you haven't seen the movie, I'd go for that first if you are interested in reading this graphic novel. Interesting to find out as well this author/artist is from Ohio.

This is a spectacular graphic novel based (as the subtitle suggests) on Fritz Lang's classic pre-film noir thriller "M," about a child killer in 1920's Berlin. I am a fan of the movie which can make it tough to accept a refurbished version, but this book is amazing! Jon Muth's illustrations are brilliantly dark and gritty with a high contrast photorealism. He combines the very filmic technique of showing zoomed-out locations, action, and tight close-ups. Absolutely beautiful and (of course) grip...

This was a very good adaptation of the classic Fritz Lang film and, in fact, I thought that this was a better presentation for the material. I liked reading this more than I liked watching the film. So yeah, I'd recommend this.

I am not accustomed to reading graphic novels but this one is based on one of my favorite films. I found it fascinating.

There are many people who gave this graphic novel minimal stars due to their inability to "see why" Muth felt compelled to "remake" this (very) classic film. For starters they should have read both the introduction that did nothing but praise the ever referenced style of Fritz as well as the afterword that explained in detail why Muth pulled such art together. Authors, directors, artists, and musicians all pull inspiration (and often duplicate) from those who came before them and this novel was

Re-read, March 1, 2013.I have re-read this multiple time in the original 4-issue series, originally published by Eclipse.This was the first time I'd read it in its new hardcover publication.It is interesting to note that the story in the graphic novel is an adaptation of the Fritz Lang movie and not an exact copy. Muth makes some changes to better fit the format... Graphic Novels and Movies aren't the same thing, and I think the decision by Muth to make some slight changes were appropriate.M (ba...

The film can never be surpassed, but this treatment is a thought-provoking supplement. Striking artwork, although the models in his painted photographs were sometimes a little too conspicuous as models, I thought. Nevertheless, a haunting retelling, and lets one deliberate over the complexity of the story frame by frame.

I only read comics and graphic novels every so often. Part of the disparity between reading books/watching films and reading comics stems from my time pursuing an English degree and film production training, where (for the most part, though not all) my professors would have turned gray over the idea that I read something less than literary, or in the film end, that a comic is just pretty storyboards.Muth's reinvention of "M" is a very powerful reminder that comics speak to me on an entirely diff...

If you're familiar with and enjoyed the 1931 Fritz Lang film, M, you're going to love this graphic novel version illustrated by Jon J. Muth. Muth's art imparts a sense of suspense and dread in much the same way that Lang's cinematography did so well. The story of a serial killer murdering children and ultimately facing a trial by a jury of his "peers" comes alive on these pages.The one thing that's missing is the leitmotif, Hans Beckert's incessant whistling of Edvard Grieg's "Hall Of The Mounta...

Atmospheric, foggy images like old film, unevenly aged by light and wear. Muth layers media (charcoal, graphite, silverpoint, etc) to create a rich and detailed realism more interesting than stills or the photographs he took to create this graphic novelization of the 1931 Fritz Lang film by the same name. My only complaint is the way in which the words are incorporated with the images; Muth, understandably, wanted to avoid muddling the images, but the result is a little shoddy.

I'd like to withold my comments on this book until I've actually seen the Fritz Lang film. For now what I'll say is that I'm extremely interested in his method of composition -- he staged it Cinninnati, where he's from, and used his family and friends as characters. After staging each scene, he took a photograph, then reproduced it in silverpoint, adding graphite later. This reminds me of 20th century photorealist painters, especially Gerhard Richter (see similar composition here: http://3.bp.bl...

Beautifully presented--- Muth's art overlaying photographs. A recounting of Fritz Lang's classic film. Muth is one of the underrated figures in the graphic novel world. This is beautiful, haunting, evocative and true to the ambience of 1920s Berlin.

The best part about his book: the art! The story itself was okay, a great climax with a lacking resolve. But the art...WOW!

A fascinating adaptation of Fritz Lang's classic film into graphic novel form. Based on Lang's original script, this tale for the most part sticks pretty closely to the film, while naturally doing some abridgment of dialogue, and also inserting some clever visual ideas. Muth's art is fantastic, his photoreal painting style fits the grim, moody story very well. The dirty, brown-gray color makes the film come more alive, while still keeping that black-and-white feel, Muth also periodically adds so...

Subtly disturbing and just plain gorgeous. I haven't actually seen the movie, so I can't judge the story's adaptation, but the art is so uncanny, it's hard to wrap your mind around. He's done these amazing drawings--in graphite, charcoal, pastels, and oils--of black-and-white photographs, but with each one, my perception of it would shudder for just an instant between "photograph" and "drawing." I dunno, they're hard to describe; check it out. The only choice I find weird is the use of a printed...

I read this in about an hour, but returned to the paintings/photography for another half hour at least. Truly, the art is what this book is about, not the written content. If you want to experience the true intention of this story, it's probably best to watch the film. However, if you're looking to get lost in some beautiful artwork that is both haunting and captivating, M is a good place to find it.

What's most extraordinary about this book is that the author staged each picture in real life, took photographs, and then painted them to mimic the film upon which it's based. Look at the pictures, but don't forget to read the forward and afterward.